An estimated R2.3b is needed to repair the recent flood damages in Mpumalanga.

The spokesperson for the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Lindiwe Msibi, says all damage assessments had been completed and verified by relevant experts.

“The document detailing the damages has been submitted to the National Disaster Management for approval of funds to be made available for rebuilding the infrastructure to commence. This will start as soon as funding is made available, but we have already embarked on minor improvements,” she says.

Msibi did not disclose how this amount in the billions had been reached after the Cogta MEC, Mandla Msibi, had initially revealed the estimated cost to be in the region of R300m during a media briefing in Mbombela, when a state of disaster was declared in the province.

Msibi adds that the MEC’s original estimation was not verified, as it was still raining heavily at the time.

However, she says once funds were made available, the currently closed roads will be prioritised, as the provincial government is aware of the inconvenience experienced by motorists. “The badly damaged roads will receive special attention. The main aim is to make sure that the entire damaged infrastructure is properly repaired.

It is not possible to provide a precise timeframe on how long it will take to rebuild everything, but the MEC made it clear that quality infrastructure to withstand storms and floods is necessary, as cheap labour is just a waste of government resources.”

The Lowveld region was especially hard hit by the floods. Some of the major roads, such as the R536 between Hazyview and Sabie, remained closed, as did the R40 between Barberton and the Josefsdal Border Post located on the Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail. The busy R40 next to the Klipkopjes Dam continues to operate on a stop-and-go basis, and with the Easter break, traffic is expected to increase.